Official Explanation:The city of Borgen, which has an extensive subway system, has made available a new map that, unlike the old map, does not show the relative distances between stops; any pair of consecutive stops appears as close as any other pair of consecutive stops. Despite this difference, most regular subway riders prefer the new map, saying that it gives them a better sense of how much time it will take to ride to their destination.
Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why regular subway riders say that the new map gives them a better sense of how much time it will take to ride to their destination? (A) The new map is more compact, making it much easier for subway riders to carry and to use.(B) Improvements in the subway system have cut the average duration of a regular subway rider’s trip by twenty percent.(C) The new map, unlike the old map, lists the times that each subway line is in operation on each day of the week.(D) On the new map, circles representing stops have numbers indicating the average number of minutes to the next stop.(E) The old map showed several stops that were actually out of operation for more than a year.Question Type: Resolve Paradox
Boil It Down: Borgen’s new subway map no longer shows the relative distance between stops, yet riders say it helps them better gauge how long each trip will take.
Goal: Find the most logical reason that subway riders would give for why the new map helps them gauge how long their trip will take. Analysis:This question asks you to explain an apparent paradox.
(This is not a classic logical argument with premises and a conclusion.) The paradox is that people say that the new map gives them a better sense of how long their rides will be even though every pair of consecutive stops is the same distance apart on the map, regardless of how far apart the stops actually are. This would seem to make it harder, not easier to determine ride times. There’s the paradox.
The correct choice, D, provides the information that resolves the apparent paradox. People can accurately judge their trip times with the new map because the actual time is printed right on the map. It’s that simple!
(A) This gives a reason that people would prefer the new map, but it does not resolve the paradox, which involves people preferring the new map for a specific reason: riders can better judge their ride times.
(B) This is irrelevant to the usefulness of the maps. It’s all about the maps.
(C) Simply knowing the times that the lines are in operation does help with knowing how long it takes to get from one stop to the next.
(D) This is the correct choice.
(E) This indicates that the new map is an improvement, but not in the way specified, which is that it’s more useful for judging ride times.
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